by Joel Rich
Davened this AM in the bet Knesset in Ben Gurion airport (NATBAG). There were about 15 men at various points in their private tfilot. One individual walked up to the amud and proceeded to daven out loud the entire tfila (kaddish, barchu etc) as if he were a shaliach tzibur. People (including new arrivals) answered even though they were at different points (if at all) of davening. There were possibly two people davening at his pace. Analysis?
Which would you choose – davening Shacharit on a parked plane after misheyakir but before hanetz or on a flying plane after hanetz? Why?
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Should a Levi Lead Benching? Is it required, preferable or not an issue to have a levi lead bentching if there’s no cohain? (and why?)
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Who Gets the Aliya When There is no Kohein If there’s no cohain, should a levi get the first aliya? (is his precedence in other cases only to separate kedushat cohain?) (me-if not required should the gabbai be sure not to always (or ever) give a levi that aliya so as not to give a misimpression of the true halacha?)
- Rabbi Shimshon Nadel-Did Chazal Study Science? Examples from chazal concerning studying and appreciating science/wordly knowledge in a number of aspects of life.
- Rabbi Yoni Mandelstam-Selling a Shul in Halacha Allowing the sale of a shul requires careful case specific analysis. Who are the owners and stakeholders, what will the proceeds be used for, and is it still in use? R Moshe’s tshuvot considered.
- Rabbi Moshe Taragin-Rabbi Sacks: The Jewish Roots of Modern Culture Jewish history has a purpose and a universalistic agenda which has seeded modern thought. Four examples provided.
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Should I Buy A Navi? (Mishna Berura Series E56 – Siman 32) Some thoughts on the current state of the mitzva to buy (or write) a sefer torah. What about buying sifrei nach on a klaf for use in reading haftaroth? Plus a frequency chart of which klafim will get the most weeks use!
- Rabbi Isaac Rice-Is the Chevra Kaddish Allowed to Charge? If the body of the niftar is assur bhanah, why can those involved in the burial charge a fee? Eight reasons given running the gamut from eit laasot to money isn’t considered hanaah in this case. (me-would be interesting to analyze why each reason giver didn’t use the other’s reasons.)
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-From The Rabbi’s Desk – Pidyon Haben for a Ger in Utero If the bet din didn’t know the mother who was converting was pregnant, does her tvila count for the fetus’s conversion?n
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Don’t Be A Goy Practical guidance concerning chukat hagoyim.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Saying Baruch Hashem L’olam When It is Not Your Minhag Includes explanation of why some say (and others don’t say) baruch hashem lolam at maariv. If you’re davening on your own and you have a real minhag, then follow your minhag. As a shatz you should follow the minhag of the minyan.
- Rabbi Daniel Fridman-Hesped and Bechiya: The Nature of Kinnot Introduction to a series of shiurim on kinot. Kinot display both bechi and hesped – how do they interrelate? The 23rd kina as an example of literary mastery and using individual tragedy as a thread in the continuum of Jewish tragedy from bnai israel in the midbar through today.
- Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff-Can One Dance At A Simcha On Shabbos While dancing on shabbat seems prohibited, there may be a limud zchut for (certain) mitzvot and (certain) dance steps at (certain) times (bein hashmashot).
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-13 Middos & Reciting Selichos Without a Minyan Which parts of slichot can you say (and how can you say them) if you don’t have a minyan? Can they be said at mincha with a minyan?
- Rabbi Yossi Strickman, Rabbi Mordechai Torczyner-7/8/23 – Shiur 426 – After the BAN – Revisiting AI The host thinks AI is a done deal as a tool which must be used but carefully. How do we best deal with it? (It’s your kids, Marty, something’s got to be done about them” HT Doc Brown)
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Tatoos 2023 Review of the specifics of the issur of tattoos and applications for “permanent” makeup – how long will it last? When is the issur a duraita and when is it a drabnanan?
- Rabbi Zev Smith-Halachot Of Kriat Hatorah Quite a number of kriat hatora applications that have tircha dtzibura as a factor. While it doesn’t always trump, tircha is given considerable weights. Always be aware of the shul’s standard practices and traditions.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Talis and Tefilin Before Coming to Shul What is the nature of the practice of coming into shul with tallit and tfilin on? Must it be done all the way from home? Is it more important than being one of the first ten? Should one also leave shul with them on? It’s a nice hiddur but there are a number of reasons why many don’t do it today.
- Rabbi Judah Kerbel-Do Jews Have a Mitzvah to Influence the Values of American Society? Some view our role as a nation to force, others to keep the 7 mitzvot, others see our role as influencing and being part of a more universal conversation.
- Rabbi Doniel Neustadt-Common Vacation Shailot Summer vacation activities require careful planning in order to avoid tzniut, shabbat and kashrut issues, especially if you seek a higher level of avodat hashem. How do we take societal change into account? What about lower standards of out-of-town “orthodox” institutions?
- title Do we use a goral (lottery) because of its practicality or because it shows the ratzon hshem? How closely must we follow the goral which allocated eretz yisrael to the shvatim? A number of practical applications discussed.
- Rabbi Asher Weiss-פרשת פנחס: הגורל בהלכה Do we use a goral (lottery) because of its practicality or because it shows the ratzon hshem? How closely must we follow the goral which allocated eretz yisrael to the shvatim? A number of practical applications discussed.
- title Find someone to trust and figure out your derech to connect with HKBH.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Davening on Vacation Try not to go on vacation somewhere without a minyan. Especially for shabbat.
- titleDescription
- Rabbi Yoni Levin-Shalom Bayis: Communicating on Different Wavelengths Women are from venus, men are from Mars. Here’s how to bridge the gap.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Ashkenazi Kohein Duchening in Sephardic Shul Differing opinions on whether an ashkenazic cohen should duchen in a sefardi minyan in chu”l? General opinion, follow the shul’s practice.
- Rabbi Dr. Zev Eleff-A Synagogue Revolution: The Impact of _Independence_ on American Judaism (Part 1) The earliest United States constitution reflected the general trend towards democracy and also began including HKBH in their chartersm Also discussed, when did the term Jew start replacing Hebrew?
- Rabbi Daniel Hartstein-Music During The 3 & 52 Weeks When and where is music prohibited all year long? (and why is this prohibition mostly ignored?) What about for the three weeks/nine days?
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-From The Rabbi’s Desk – Migraines From Hair Covering If a sheital or any haircoverig is causing migraines, is there any heter not to wear one? It may depen on whether the prohibition is duraita or drabanan and whether it is aseh or lo taaseh.
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Mekubalim & Superstitions With regard to segulot et al, your general rule should be tamim tihiyu unless there’s an ancient tradition. Specifics discussed.
Please direct any informal comments to [email protected].
